1. You started dating during your most awkward phases.You fell in love in the time of braces, heavy clownish makeup, and and douchey Abercrombie t-shirts. If you were attracted to each other even then, you’re set for life.

2. You’ve gotten to see how far each of you has come.You’ve seen each other graduate high school, head off to college, have no sense of direction for a couple years, kind of figure things out, graduate college, and cautiously step into adulthood. And now you can admire how much progress you’ve each made since you were teenagers.

3. You understand each other sowellthat sometimes words aren’t even necessary.You’ve known each other for a long time and know thethings you have each experienced from adolescence into adulthood. So when one of you is having a hard time, you don’t even have to explain why. The other person justgets it.

4. There’s a solid foundation to fall back on. Every relationship has its ups and downs. And when you guys are in a low point together in which you’re stressed out or fighting a lot, it’s nice to know that you have such a firm basis.

5. That goes for fighting too.Fights and arguments are unavoidable in any relationship. But it’s nice having such a strong history and knowing that, like every other argument, you can work through this one.

6. You know each other’s quirks and “tells.”You know when they’re actually fine, and when they are upset. Because their behaviors and body language are now as familiar to you as breathing.

7. You have an endless amount of shared memories. So when you get to talk about some of the greatest joys you experienced as a ‘kid,’ they understand, because they were right there with you.

8. And the wonderful memories you’ve built together only get you more excited for what’s to come. Looking at your prom photos and reminiscing on how you used to anxiously await meeting up at your lockers just shows that there’s a lifetime of even more special moments ahead.

9. You understand that people change in relationships. You started dating as teenagers you’re obviously totally different people now than you were then. Being high school sweethearts has taught you that you have to be adaptable in relationships, because people’s personalities and wants and needs will continuously change throughout life.

11. You’ve probably already made it through the hard parts of fighting to stay together. At some point all couples have to sit down and figure out what they want, where they want this to go, how committed they’re ready to get, etc. You already had to do all that when you went to college and when you entered the real world. So although there’s always going to be plenty to work through and talk through, you’ve already covered a lot of it.

12. ‘High school sweethearts’ is just one of many things you are to each other. You’re also soul mates, best friends, go-to persons for one another, cheerleaders, endless supporters, kindred spirits, partners, etc. These types of bonds don’t come around that often.

13. Your families are basically already family to each other. There’s no more polite exchanges of pleasantries. Your families have known each other for so long that they actually greet each other like old friends.

14. And your loved ones are usually super invested in your relationship. Sounds intense, but it’s actually just great. They’re always happy to support you and celebrate milestones and give you all the encouragement that you need. Because at this point, your significant other is just as much a part of your families’ lives as they are part ofyours.

15. You’ve been in the habit, for years, of learning how to balance your relationship with the other parts of your life. You know that you can’t just spend all your time with that one person, so you’ve become an expert at balancing work, friends, and family in your life as well.

16. If you guys have ‘a song,’ it’s probably an awesome throwback. Like ‘Hey There Delilah.’ Or ‘Collide.’ Or something by Lifehouse.

17. They’ve been there for you since the beginning. So you have no trouble trusting that they’ll be there for you through everything else, too.